The Discovery Science Place in Tyler is getting a new look. With the talented help of the University of Texas at Tyler’s art program, the walls of the entrance into the children’s learning center will be boring no more. You won’t believe how cool this will look when it is all done. 

The Discovery Science Place has been more than just a center for the furthered education of the East Texas area children. The building is full of fun and adventure. You and your children can explore a ship, caves, space, and so much more. With all the excitement inside, why should the outside be anything less?

Led by an amazing professor, Alexis Serio-Hughes, a class of gifted and hardworking students are giving the Discovery Science Place building the facade that will match the inside. Their design for the mural lets the science and adventure of the interior walls burst out and welcome you into the “kids love it, parents will too” learning center.

The dinosaurs, germs, planes, and science tools incorporated into the design will get the little ones overwhelmed with excitement before they even reach the door. But, this mural is about more than that.

It is a great thing to see the community come together to help each other out. Sure, the Discovery Science Place is getting a mural and the students are getting experience and a grade. But, they are each getting so much more. Education and supporting of the arts should forever be paired. This mural will symbolize this relationship. The paintings will, in turn, open children’s eyes to the importance of a complete learning experience.

How does this mural do that? Besides the encouragement of learning about the world around them, the children are being shown how cool it is to create art. I joined the University of Texas at Tyler crew on site while they were painting, you would not believe the reactions they got from the kids. “WOW!” and “I want to do that some day!” came out of multiple young one’s mouths. This children were seeing older students helping their community and projecting the idea that learning was important.

When this mural is completed, it will bring so much more joy than it already has. And, how great is it to see our city getting a new and great look to it? Come check out the Discovery Science Place now and/or when the mural is done. I promise, your jaw will drop to the floor. For now, here are a few sneak peek pictures of the mural in progress.

The annual show which is billed as the biggest oil and gas industry celebration in Texas featured performances from Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, Reckless Kelly, Kyle Park, Bart Crow, Jason Boland, The Damn Quails, No Justice, Cody Johnson, Johnathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, The Departed and tons more.

It’s official: The 101.5 KNUE Big Bass Bash presented by Fairway Auto Center is complete, and in baseball terms, it came down to a full count in the bottom of the ninth inning as we crowned our first-ever Big Bass Bash Champion.

Dave Triplett, of Chandler, came up to the dock at Lake Palestine Resort with less than 40 minutes left in the final hour of weighing. When he pulled out his bass at the tent, the crowd immediately knew something even bigger was happening.

Bob Sealy of Sealy Outdoors kept the crowd waiting at the scale and then he announced it: Mr. Triplett’s bass weighed 8.62 pounds, barely edging the 8.52-pounder caught by Flint’s Billy Limerick just a few hours earlier.

When he saw the weight on the scale, Triplett said he “nearly passed out.”

Triplett then took the stage as the first-ever Big Bass Bash champion and showed off his check for $10,000.

We want to extend our many congratulations to Mr. Triplett, our top five winners and all of our hourly winners. We can’t wait to do it again — and we’re already set for April 12 and 13, 2014, back at Lake Palestine Resort.

And thank you all for attending as anglers, fans or anything else. We appreciate it!

The Final 5

• 1. Dave Triplett, Chandler — 8.62 pounds ($10,000)
• 2. Billy Limerick, Flint — 8.52 pounds ($2,000)
• 3. Joe Moss, Palestine — 7.50 pounds ($1,500)
• 4. John Poole, Nederland — 7.05 pounds ($1,250)
• 5. Tim England, Chandler — 6.76 pounds ($1,000)

Here are the hourly weigh-in winners for the weekend:

7 a.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Ryan McCoy, Jacksonville -- 5.63 pounds
2. Andy Ginn, Tyler -- 3.96 pounds
3. Blake Conner, Bullard -- 3.59 pounds
4. Joel Howell, Palestine -- 2.84 pounds
5. Robby Stone, Tyler -- 2.54 pounds

 

8 a.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Greg McDowell, Troup -- 4.61 pounds
2. James Williams, Chandler -- 3.50 pounds
3. Mark Driskell, Athens -- 3.26 pounds
4. Trey Durham, McKinney -- 3.26 pounds
5. David Wood, Frankston -- 2.91 pounds

 

9 a.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Billy Limerick, Flint -- 8.52 pounds
2. David Poole, Tyler -- 5.76 pounds
3. Brad Burkett, Flint -- 5.49 pounds
4. Jeremy Locke, Flint -- 4.38 pounds
5. Nick Dudley, Jacksonville -- 4.08 pounds

 

10 a.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Bobby Curnutt, Kilgore -- 4.94 pounds
2. Jeremy Locke, Flint -- 4.82 pounds
3. Jason Holman, Tyler -- 4.48 pounds
4. Melton Miller, Tyler -- 4.45 pounds
5. Joe Embry, Tyler -- 3.65 pounds

 

11 a.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Michael Black, Tennessee Colony -- 4.70 pounds
2. William Miller, Tatum -- 4.66 pounds
3. Joe Embry, Tyler -- 4.62 pounds
4. Kenneth "Red" Owens, Chandler -- 3.98 pounds
5. Jeffrey Harmon, Flint -- 3.85 pounds

 

12 p.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Tim England, Chandler -- 6.76 pounds
2. Leslie Williams, Chandler -- 6.19 pounds
3. Amanda Burkham, LaRue -- 5.28 pounds
4. Randy Burkham, Tyler -- 5.07 pounds
5. David Wood, Frankston -- 4.62 pounds

 

1 p.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Mickey Cawthron, Tyler -- 5.93 pounds
2. Donny Walters, Palestine -- 5.83 pounds
3. Michael Mays, Palestine -- 5.73 pounds
4. Andy Ginn, Tyler -- 5.05 pounds
5. Hubert Sumrol, Winona -- 4.25 pounds

 

2 p.m. Sunday

 

 

1. Dave Triplett, Chandler -- 8.62 pounds
2. Robby Leach, Tyler -- 6.33 pounds
3. Andy Ginn, Tyler -- 5.64 pounds
4. Franky Burkett, Flint -- 5.51 pounds
5. Joel Howell, Palestine -- 3.96 pounds

 

7 a.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Joe Moss, Palestine -- 7.50 pounds
2. Steven Boggs, Frankston -- 4.47 pounds
3. Roy Spencer, Flint -- 3.80 pounds
4. Joel Howell, Palestine -- 1.65 pounds

 

8 a.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Daniel Cox, Tyler -- 3.60 pounds
2. Claude Dowdy, Palestine -- 3.26 pounds
3. Josh Alonzo, Flint -- 2.75 pounds
4. Taylor Simmons, Tyler -- 2.43 pounds
5. Dewayne Reynolds, Flint -- 2.04 pounds

 

9 a.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Mitchell Stuteville, Elkhart -- 5.09 pounds
2. Klint Nichols, Bullard -- 4.94 pounds
3. Patrick Fuller, Tyler -- 3.76 pounds
4. Robby Leach, Tyler -- 3.67 pounds
5. Gary Heath Sr., Chandler -- 3.56 pounds

 

10 a.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Joe Moss, Palestine -- 6.63 pounds
2. Patrick Fuller, Tyler -- 5.14 pounds
3. Eric Thompson, Flint -- 3.56 pounds
4. Roy Patterson, Palestine -- 2.26 pounds
5. Jody Kea, Tyler -- 1.87 pounds

 

11 a.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Brad Rumbo, Chandler -- 3.84 pounds
2. Patrick Fuller, Tyler -- 3.52 pounds
3. Eric Thompson, Flint -- 3.41 pounds
4. Mark Fletcher, Tyler -- 3.41 pounds
5. Landen Dean, Mixon -- 2.18 pounds

 

12 p.m. Saturday

 

 

1. John Poole, Nederland -- 7.05 pounds
2. Mike Watson, Whitehouse -- 5.39 pounds
3. Scott Jenkins, Tyler -- 4.02 pounds
4. John Maxfield, Van -- 3.66 pounds
5. Eric Thompson, Flint -- 3.41 pounds

 

1 p.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Michael Mays, Palestine -- 6.03 pounds
2. Joe Moss, Palestine -- 4.69 pounds
3. Joe Embry, Tyler -- 4.40 pounds
4. Danny Burkham, LaRue -- 4.10 pounds
5. Rick Clark, Terrell -- 3.90 pounds

 

2 p.m. Saturday

 

 

1. Andy Ginn, Tyler -- 4.90 pounds
2. Edward Wood, Lindale -- 4.58 pounds
3. Rafe Dean, Tyler -- 4.23 pounds
4. Bobby Reeves, Whitehouse -- 4.21 pounds
5. Patrick Fuller, Tyler -- 4.15 pounds

 

Big Bass Bash 2013 Pictures

Check out all of our pictures from the weekend at Lake Palestine Resort.

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If you attended Women’s Night Out 2013 at Harvey Convention Center with Bob Harper, here are the pictures of you with Bob Harper at the VIP party!

You can right click each picture to save the picture to your computer for free. Thank you so much for being a VIP participant at Women’s Night Out with Bob Harper.

One person has been seriously injured after a house he was working on exploded shortly before noon Wednesday.

According to Tyler Fire Marshall Paul Findley, the explosion and fire happened on the east side of the house located at 1430 ESE Loop 323 where the victim was working with a large amount of paint thinner and a floor buffer machine.

The explosion forced the victim out of the home and was on fire. A passerby, an investigator with the Smith County District Attorneys office, went to the aid of the victim and was also injured when he was overcome with smoke. Both men are hospitalized in undetermined condition.

It does not appear the home was occupied and was being renovated at the time of the explosion.The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation,and it appears the home is a total loss.

Click here to see MORE crazy pictures.

Also, if you or someone you know would like to work here, they are hiring for:

-Bartenders
- Waitress
- Bar Backs
- Floor Staff (Security)
- Cashiers
- Restroom Attendants
- Porters
- Kitchen Staff

On their facebook page they promise to forever change the Tyler sports bar and night club scene. If you are energetic, outgoing, responsible, team player who wants to have fun and make money this is your opportunity.

Apply in Person ONLY
Coach’s and Cowboy’s
8374 Paluxy Drive, Tyler TX 75703

They are taking applications again:

Thurs. Jan 24th and Fri. Jan 25th
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Drug Screen and Background check is required.

When the Westboro Baptist Church announced that they planned to protest the funerals of those lost during the Sandy Hooks Elementary shooting, the world set forth to shut them down. The efforts to have this “church” recognized by the government as a legal hate group has blown up the internet with response. 

We are all familiar with what Westboro Baptist is about. They use God as a reason to hate. Their twisted minds have convinced them that protesting funerals is an acceptable action to take.

They have not just terrorized those in Connecticut, they have also been found protesting at soldiers funerals. They carry signs that say things like, “Thank God for IEDs.” They answer that God is killing soldiers to show that He is upset with all of his children because we allow homosexuals to live.

The Westboro Baptist Church believes that they have the idea of what God is thinking and they are doing all of the rest of us a favor by telling us. But, that voice may soon be silenced.

There are now three different petitions on the White House footsteps that regard Westboro Baptist.

1. Legally recognize Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.

2. Revoke the tax exempt status of the Westboro Baptist Church & re-classify Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.

3. Remove the Westboro Baptist Church’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and make it retroactive.

That is right, Westboro Baptist’s hateful signs saying, “Thank God for dead soldiers” was paid for with your tax dollars. They have been receiving money from the government for years because they are classified as a non profit church. That may not be where you would like to see your tax dollars go.

Here are more examples of their signs.

These petitions have become so popular, they have stolen almost all of the spot light from the recent push of gun rights petitions. They have become so popular that they are actually the most signed and visited petition of the White House initiative website.

With over 250,000 signatures, the petition to have Westboro Baptist Church recognized as a hate group could actually start the movement to silencing Westboro.

These petitions aren’t the first round of action against this group. Huffington Post explains, “In August, Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans Act, which declared that protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and were prohibited two hours before or after a service.”

This was a great improvement, but knowing that only a few hundred feet away from the burial of your loved one is still a hurtful reality. That is why so many have been trying to take these more drastic measures. The complete shut down of Westboro Baptist is what a majority of America is looking to accomplish.

We will see soon what will come of the Westboro Baptist Church. But, let me ask what you think.

The No. 1 gift in 1980 was a Rubik’s Cube retailing for $1.99. The No. 1 gift in 2010? An  Apple iPad retailing, then, for $499.99. That’s just crazy.

Merry Christmas!

This year will be the Goodman Legrand Museum’s fourth annual Art in the Park. This year will be even bigger and better, but it can’t grow without you. Don’t know what is event is? Here is a little introduction, and how you can help. 

The Goodman LeGrand Museum is a historic home right here in Tyler. Located near the downtown square, it is unbelievable to find this gorgeous 153-year-old home. Right off of North Broadway lies a nine-acre park with the Goodman LeGrand home settled right in the center. Hidden in the middle of this growing city you can find a place full of history, mystery, and beauty.

On April 14, 2013, you will be able to tour this historic home and experience an art exhibition unique to the city of Tyler. There will be music, fun for the kids, and especially a showcase of East Texas’ best fine art talents. A mixture of ceramics, painting, sculpture, drawings, photography, and so much more will fill the Goodman LeGrand park that Saturday afternoon. The artists will be working and teaching at their booths along with showing their newest and greatest works. For purchase or just for appreciation, those in attendance will see the wealth of talent that Tyler has to offer.

Last year there were more than 30 artists showing off their best. This coming year there is a need for more artists to help make this event even bigger and better. If you are an artist or know one that would like to participate, please sign up. It is a free event for the patrons and the artists. So, there is no excuse not to be a part of this great day of art, music, and history.

Contact Patricia Heaton, the Goodman LeGrand Museum’s curator at pheaton@tylertexas.com or give the Goodman a call for more information.  Also, you can check out this event in the City of Tyler brochure.

Make sure to come out and enjoy this free event with your friends and family. Make sure that if you are an artist, or know one, that you don’t miss out on a chance to show your pieces of art to all of East Texas.

Here is a gallery of last year’s Art in the Park at the Goodman LeGrand Museum.

2012 was a huge year for East Texas Southern Rockers Whiskey Myers. Their first single of the year and follow up to 2011′s “Bar, Guitar and a Honky Tonk Crowd,” “Ballad of a Southern Man” was a monster hit in Texas. Then, to much acclaim, they shot and released videos for two singles “Ballad of a Southern Man” and “Anna Marie.” To top it off, this past summer shortly after returning from a European tour, “Anna Marie” became their first No. 1 on The Texas Music Chart.

We’ll the guys are back at it. Today Gypsysun Vintage released stills from the upcoming video for “Virginia” — and the pictures look great, hopefully the video debuts quick. Since debuting on the Texas Music Chart just three weeks ago, “Virginia” is currently at No. 44, and on the rise.

Sources close to the 32-year-old singer have told US Weekly that Jessica Simpson is in fact pregnant with baby No. 2, only 7 months after giving birth to daughter, Maxwell in May.The source revealed to US Weekly:

“It definitely wasn’t planned. But yes, Jessica is pregnant again.”

Not likely, while they are extra small and thus extra sexy, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an institution, known throughout the world. So we’ll just set that ludicrous idea aside. But I would like to know which uniforms you prefer. Check ‘em out, then vote for your barely there outfit of choice.

You can always count on the true scum of the earth to capitalize financially on catastrophic events. The newest example: People on Craigslist selling gas for upward of $20 per gallon.

Residents of New York and New Jersey are experiencing terrible tragedies in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy — many are still without electricity, homes are destroyed and cities are experiencing an incredible gas shortage as people are scrambling to fill up their cars and generators.

Lines at gas stations have reached to many dozens of cars, while, of course, prices have also increased. And leave it to some fine folks to try to make some money off other people’s personal heartache.

Craigslist ads have popped up with people offering to sell gas for anywhere from $10 to $20 per gallon. Some offer to deliver, others just leave a phone number. And, of course, people are desperate, so they’ll pay it.

Imagine paying $100 just for five gallons.

Remember when you go out to celebrate Halloween tonight “Pauly D,” try not to end up like these folks. By all means have a good time, just don’t disgrace your parents — and try to stay off next year’s Top Ten Halloween mug shots.

Fresh air, sunshine, and nature all around you can help you enjoy your life and let you live it longer. It should be a “no duh” situation. If you don’t see the reasoning, there are now studies to back it up. Living in the country, or just time spent in nature, can make life better.

One rainy night a couple of years ago, I was driving home from work. As I turned off the big highway and on to the little country road I live on, I came down a hill to find a surprise in the dark. At the bottom of the hill there was a gigantic limb that had fallen from one of the many trees lining the road.

As I came up on it I had to suddenly swerve because a car came into my lane to try and pass the limb. Both of us were lucky, because we could not see each other past the enormous limb. After the shock of the moment passed, I hurried home to park my car and gather a flash light and ax. My brother and his fiance were there at the time and offered to help me clear the debris from the road. We walked down in the storm to find that I was not the only one that saw the danger in the situation. A group of my neighbors, my family, and I began the risky business of cleaning up the road. Just as the limb was getting too thick for any of us to cut anymore, we saw lights coming down the road.

Another neighbor was trucking down to us in his tractor. We flagged down cars to stop as the man used his tracker to push the remaining bits of the limb off of the road. Everyone left joking about how we, “Got her done!”

This is not something you will normally find inside the city limits. Sure, people will occasionally help each other in the big city. But, you will find that more people out in the country are closely tied and helpful. It is almost as if we live in our own little world, like a community tightly woven. Living on the outskirts of town, you find that everyone knows each other and are happy to help.

Another time I was helped by a neighbor is again at night headed home from work. A car had crashed into a tree right before my mail box and the hazard lights had gone out. I would not have seen this abandoned car if not for my neighbor that sat with her lights on until I came home to show me the car. If she had not been sweet enough to do that, I would have hit the car causing who knows what kind of damage. As we sat there together waiting for the police and a tow truck to show up, we talked about how being so far out means we are on our own.

It takes the police, fire trucks, and electric companies so long to come to our aid. Sometimes you will need to use a neighbor’s washer and dryer because the electric company won’t get there in time to dry your clothes before they mold. The police will just leave a car that crashed to go handle something in the city. My neighbors and I have put out the grass fires threatening our homes too many times to count. The fire trucks always show up after we have already saved our homes and families.

I remember vividly the day my brother needed an ambulance. Our neighbor came to help my sister hold the wound and took me to her house as my brother and sister went to meet our parents at the hospital. When we came home, there were cookies and offerings of aid waiting on the doorstep.

Have you ever had a neighbor do that for you, or you do something of the like for them?

It is not just the community and brotherhood that you are missing out on. Have you ever stepped outside on a nice night to stargaze? If you live under the pink haze of Tyler’s light pollution, I know you haven’t. There is nothing like sitting on your porch with the lights out to see the sky so bright with stars. The crickets chirping along with the occasional coyote howling. The breeze whipping through the trees, making a hush sound as it cools your face. During the late summer months having the added twinkle of mass numbers of lightening bugs. There is nothing better to calm you down from a stressful day than that experience.

Studies are coming out now that show this kind of peaceful is one of the sources of a happier and healthier life. J. D. Hughes of Natural News explains, “people who are born and raised in big cities have more depression, more anxiety and a higher incidence of schizophrenia, scientists say.” Also, “… folks do better when they are around a lot of green spaces. Such exposure reduces stress, makes us less vulnerable to depression and boosts health overall.” The amygdala, the section of the brain that controls mood and emotions, is more active in city dwellers. Another section of the brain affected is the cingulate cortexes, they help control stress. So, science has proved that the key to life longevity is being out in the open air amidst green grasses and trees.

I realize that living in the country is not for everyone. Even though Texas is full of beautiful land, not all of us live up to the stereotype that every texan is a cowboy or girl from the country. But, because of this abundance of nature, we have a lot of parks. If you live in the city and are feeling outdoorsy, go to one of them. Get out in the fresh air, read a book, push your child on the swing, run a little, or make a mud pie.

This world we live in is too gorgeous to miss because we were watching the Jersey Shore and scared of a mosquito bite. Go to the country people, live a better life.

If you can’t make it out today to the country, here are some of the pictures I have taken out around where I live. Can you already feel the stress melting away?

Halloween is not just a day for kids to get enormous amounts of candy. Halloween is a day for adults to get creative. If ideas are not coming to you for your costume, use this gallery to help you develop some.

Every year I see more and more slutty nurses and police officers. The number of super hero costumes have been growing too. All of these costumes lack innovation and creativity. Also, the majority of costumes are bought in a package with no uniqueness required.

If you are buying these pre-packaged costumes then you are also running the risk of meeting others out on the town in the same costume. I would hate to show up at a party and see five other ladies in my outfit.

To break from this trend of no thought costumes, we need to wake our brains up for some original ideas. This is the only holiday that you can become anything that you like and go around town to have as much fun as possible. The crazier you can make your costume and night the better. As adults we can truly celebrate this holiday. We may not be receiving free candy anymore, but we have more opportunities for fun.

Let me clear a few things up before I continue. I am not saying Halloween should be a total night of debauchery, there is a line between fun and woah. Please drink responsibly and be safe while out at night. Guys, I am not trying to take away the one night a year almost every girl in the world dresses in next to nothing. I am only trying to encourage the use of creative thinking when developing a costume.

You can be anything! Scary, cute, weird, or just different from your everyday life. If you can completely transform yourself, the reaction will be double what you could get as a plain firefighter or sexy teacher.

Below is a photo gallery of some great costume makeup. This might help you get an idea of what you want to do. At the very least, this will get your mind working on a different level than the Halloween stores are.

Tuesday is worse than Monday. The fond memories of the weekend are quickly fading and we are no closer to the next weekend.  To get through this day and get ready for Halloween, here are some of man’s best friends to our aid.

Animals can reduce stress levels. Stress reduction of any kind is in high demand, especially in the workplace. If at work or at home, this photo gallery will hopefully lessen your stress. At the very least, this will put a smile on your face.

For some, when thinking about ZZ Top, their massive beards are first to come to mind before their music. In honor of their upcoming show at The Oil Palace, it seems appropriate to introduce East Texas to the growing trend of beard art. All around the world, more and more men are competing in beard competitions. There are numerous ways that these hairy works of art are judged. Most are competing in categories such as Mustache, Partial Beard, and Natural Beard. Some being judged by length begs the question, “Why have the men of ZZ Top never competed?”

But, it must be said that the group getting the most attention is the Freestyle category.

The Freestyle competition is where one can see the most creative styles. Swirls, rings and even aquatic scenes are encouraged for this event. It seems the more wild and crazy the design, the better chance of winning you can have. This pageantry of beards takes them from being flavor savers to facial decoration of the most extreme lengths.

So after you have seen ZZ Top on Oct. 28 at The Oil Palace in Tyler, make plans to go see these fancy furry faces in Las Vegas for the National Beard and Mustache Competition.

Or, you know, just grow one of your own.

Here are some beards even Billy Gibbons would be proud of.

When my mother went shopping for a swimsuit for me, she was very strict with how it fit, looked and covered — and it was NEVER a bikini. I actually purchased my first bikini at 18 years old. My mother was always very particular about how I looked as a young girl, and made sure that I dressed age appropriate. Now, a bikini line for young girls designed by Elizabeth Hurley is getting much flak and is being called ‘inappropriate’ and ‘disturbing.’Actress Elizabeth Hurley calls the swimsuits for young girls “fun” on her website. However, Claude Knight, the director of the charity Kidscape, is begging to differ:

It is very disturbing to see some inappropriate items in this swimwear range.” 

According to reports, parents along with Knight are accusing Hurley’s brand of sexualizing young girls. Some of the descriptions on the brand’s website look like this:

The description promotes the “grown-up” look for little girls, but also disclaims that they are still well-covered.

What do you think? Tell us below.